As if things weren't bad enough in the real estate business :-) Yes, this just happened to me. My Seller had already moved, left the majority of her furniture for the new Buyer, went under contract for another home (contingent upon her Asheville home closing) and then we get the phone call about the Buyer going into a diabetic coma. As sad as it was the Buyer's agent made some mstakes along the way to make this whole situaton even worse.
I had told her that her Buyer needed to pay for the furniture as soon as we agreed upon the repair request from the inspection. Once we had the executed repair agreement I started asking her for the money. The majoroity fo the time she never returned my calls and every now and then I would get a text from her but she never pursued getting the money for the furniture.
The Buyer recovered but didn't close on the home. After the Buyer terminated the contract they asked for their earnest money back ($500). They nor their Buyer's agent didn't seem to care about everything that happened to my Seller. She is renting in another city, will have to ccome back to Asheville to either sell or pick up her furniture (furniture they agreed to purchase) and is an emotional wreck. If the Buyer's agent had worked more dilligently in gettng the furnture paid for, my Seller would have some extra money to help with her finances.
The mistake I made? It took the Buyer's agent five days to get the oral agreement for the offer to purchase in writing. How many of you agent out there would wait five days to get the offer in awriting and get it executed? That was my red flag and I shold have called her broker n charge. I don't want to be a tattle tale so I let it go. When this whole mess came to an end I did call her broker n charge. Their response was "What do you want me to do about it?" Hmm...now everything is much clearer!!!
Lesson learned!
Home Staging is a MUST these days. It has been my experience that it is usually the husband who doesn't want to spend the time or money decluttering or having the home staged. I would try my best to show them the difference in the time on market and better selling price but most of them still refused to stage their home. Well, I finally found the answer and it has convinced them EVERY time.
I just look at them and say this:
Would you consider selling your vehicle (boat..whatever...you just need to speak their language) without taking the time to detail it? They finally get it! Sometimes they think we agents want them to do everything. Well..yes I do! I will be putting everything into the marketing so I do expect them to make their home look the best it possibly can and also to keep it clean and tidy. Nothing worse than seeing a distgusting, filthy toilet when you are showing their home to a potential buyer.
I have watched vacant homes and also cluttered homes sit on the market for months and then expire! I have started staging as many listings as possible. I staged a listing last week, got a Buyer and went under contract the first day on the market. It is very important to have your listings stand out when the market is still on a comeback. Educate your Sellers. Speak up and let them know what they need to do and they will respect you for it.
Has this ever happened to you? I was at a new listing taking pictures when a couple with a potential buyer drove up and asked if they could look at the house. The first words out of my mouth was.."Are you working with a real estate agent?" In unison they all three said no. I proceeded to explain WWREA brochure with them and told them that I would be their buyers agent and they said that would be great!
After about an hour of looking and negotiating a price and also some furnishings the buyer said.."Oh...By the way...My brother in law is a real estate agent...
What would you have done?
Yes, you guessed it. My Seller called and told me that an agent shut her cat in the bedroom and the poor little thing had to go potty! After ripping her carpet to shreds by the door trying to get out she finally pee peed and pooped on the carpet. I called the agent that last showed her home and she said that she definitely didn't shut the cat in the bedroom :-) Well my seller wanted to know who was going to pay for that carpeting. Got any ideas?
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Her unusual first name is not the only reason why Hazy Oberski makes a memorable impression. She has a laugh that is contagious and a warm and caring personality.
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